Government, Escom apologise over historical blackout in Malawi

The government of Malawi and the country’s Electricity Supply Corporation have apologised for a national wide blackout that occurred in the country on January 15 2013,and have since appointed investigation teams to establish the real cause of the historic one hour blackout, it has been announced.

Blantyre Malawi

Both government and the Escom have indicated that investigations are underway to find the real cause, although preliminary results show that some power lines in the central region districts of Ntcheu and Dedza developed a fault.

“But despite having the preliminary results we instituted a team of independent engineers to investigate the issue so that we should find the real cause, and let me apologise to all for the inconvenience the blackout caused,” said Energy minister Ibrahim Matola.

Escom director of engineering Evance Msiska said that the corporation suspects that the heavy rainfall that has been falling in many parts of the country might have triggered the fault. He disclosed that investigations are still underway and that their technical team will come up with a comprehensive report on the matter.

“Our engineers are still investigating the cause of the problem….All our machines were tripped due to the fault causing a blackout in the process,” Msiska said.

The sentiments were made Wedneday tduring a tour of the Kapichira phase 2 works which has two machines one of which is expected to be complete in August this year wih the other in later in December.

In its January 17 2013 press release, the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi apologised for the blackout at he same time assuring the nation that the corporation is doing everything possible to minimize system disturbances.

“ESCOM is apologising to its valued customers and the public for the loss of power supply experienced on Tuesday 15th january 2013 from 8.07pm to 8.28pm. This was due to a technical fault on one of our lines from Nkula to Lilongwe,” reads the statement in part.

Malawi has been experiencing heavy rains for nearly a month now which has caused floods, damaged roads and displaced many people.

For many years the country has been subjected to load shedding which many citizens and industries say it is sickening since there seems to be no solution at all.

And in a related development, the Blantyre water Board has also apologised to the Blantyre citizens fora three-day water supply interruption in the country’s commercial city.

“Blantyre Water Board would like to sincerely apologise to all its valued customers for the water supply interruption that has affected many parts of Blantyre city from 13th to 15th January 2013. The Board deeply regrets for the inconvenience the water interruption might have caused,” in part reads a BWB press release.

According to the Board, the water interruption was caused by simultaneous breakdowns of sme pumps at their walker’s Ferry and Chileka pumping stations.

Just like with electricity, water consumers have been having their woos too due to short supply of the commodity which sometimes is said to be due to low water levels or power interruptions.

Blantyre residents will leave to remember this year’s Chilembwe day as the day that they deprived of both electricity and water supplies due to the technical faults the two service providers experienced, reminding them of the days of the Malawi Youth Leaguers who made it a point that on 3rd march, a day that Malawians remembered the life of John Chilembwe and other Martyrs, people should be in a sombre mood and confined in their homes.

The government of Malawi and the country's Electricity Supply Corporation have apologised for a national wide blackout that occurred in the country on January 15 2013,and have since appointed investigation teams to establish the real cause of the historic one hour blackout, it has been announced.
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